Plan Your Visit

What is Reality

What is Reality is a series of evolving experiences that prompt us to think about what’s “real.” Challenge your perceptions while exploring a broad variety of mind-bending topics alongside scientists and innovators who are shaping the future.

Experiences are constantly rotating and evolving as they highlight immersive and innovative technologies.

Featured Experiences

Zooples

Through April 30, 2020See yourself come to life as an animal! See what you look like while interacting with friends and family in your new form in this projected augmented reality experience produced locally. Located in Building 4. Included with general admission.

Alternative Mythologies

Through April 30, 2020If flora and fauna had co-evolved, what myths might have resulted? Alternative Mythologies, created by artist Ginny Ruffner, uses augmented reality to visualize possible outcomes of that thought experiment. Read a PacSci Blog post, then try this experience! Located in Building 4. Included with general admission.

Drip Sculpture

Light and sound merge in this new sculpture by local artist, Robb Kunz. Water “drops” from the sculpture, sending ripples of waves and sound through space. Read about this installation in the PacSci Blog. Located in Building 4. Included with general admission.

Intro to VR

New to the VR scene? Try out Intro to VR. Every day we will offer a rotating set of experiences that demonstrate the diverse, captivating and often times magical possibilities of VR as an immersive technology–all in bite sized chunks. Intro to VR is included with admission and no ticket is required. Please sign up for experiences in Lower Building 4. Ages 6 and up required.

Intro to VR Experiences

Current Month

Additional Experiences

Here is a sample of the types of questions raised and activities to take part in throughout the Science Center:

A Rock with a Reputation: Go ahead, Google the Coso Artifact. Now come see the real thing at PacSci.

Augmented Reality on the Big Screen: These experiences rotate, and currently showing are Light Writing and Astronauts, Dinosaurs, and Droids, Oh My!

Breaking Bias: If our beliefs form our reality, then each person’s reality is different and constantly changing. What does that look like in day-to-day life? Guests speak up in this contributed experience.

Color and Light: This color wall is a cool selfie spot: the actual colors remain the same despite what your brain tells you. Truth.

The Future Machine: A merger of old and new, familiar and alien, this art piece heralds the role of creativity and collaboration in determining the shape of our future, brought to PacSci by Electric Coffin.

Impossible Triangle: A simple interactive that’s all about your point of view.

The Mirror Path: When your brain has to re-figure how to do an activity like walking the results can be surprising and surprisingly silly.

Shades of Reality: Remember that internet dress? The one that still sparks arguments about color? Shadows and light help us understand shapes and colors but what happens when they are positioned in unfamiliar ways?

Recalling Reality: Test your memory to find out how imperfect our recall can be! “Do I know you?” will make you think about the accuracy of eye-witness testimony.

Self Reflected: A new technique called reflective micro-etching enabled these scientist-artists to create a view of the brain that provides an intimate look at the beauty of consciousness.

Swinging Stripes: Our brains constantly use sensory feedback to interpret the physical reality around us. What happens when your brain is tricked?

Through your Eyes: A rotating series displaying opinions from our guests on everything from “What makes something alive?” to “What’s the most important invention in the history of humankind?”

Read More on the PacSci Blog

A small company is making a big impression on Pacific Science Center Guests with clever technology and a passion for connecting it to the real world. Learn more about this creative team of artists/engineers then stop by to experience their work yourself.

The field of virtual reality, VR will be the focus of a three-day event at Pacific Science Center March 23-25. For those interested in producing content and those who wish to consume said content, this event is for you.

Is Pacific Science Center a local startup? Not really. We're still the same non-profit educational institution millions have visited over the years. But things are changing under the arches. GeekWire profiled our organization in this recent article. We encourage you...

What is the relationship of virtual reality to the scientific study of time? Space? Matter? Truth? How will new immersive experiences teach us more about ourselves and the world around us? These are some of questions that fearless360º is looking forward to exploring at Pacific Science Center’s new series of experiences called, What Is Reality.

Pacific Science Center has one awesome event coming up early in November. It’s a 48-hour marathon that starts at 6 p.m. Friday, November 3 and ends at 6 p.m. Sunday, November 5. We call it Interactive Experience Jam. “It is an opportunity to come to the Science Center...

Members Get More

Ignite your curiosity day after day! Members enjoy unlimited free admission for a year, discounts on events and programs, invitations to exclusive events, as well as passes and discounts on IMAX and Laser shows, and ticketed VR experiences.